1325. Hon Alison Xamon to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the site 24 Ledger Road, Gooseberry Hill, and to correspondence between the (then) Department of Environment Regulation and the Department of Education on 20 July 2016 regarding the classification of this site under section 14(2) of the Contaminated Sites Act 2003, and I ask:
(a) is the school site still classified as “Potentially Contaminated – Investigation Required”;
(b) if yes to (a), please advise how long it has held this classification;
(c) please advise:
(i) what, if any, investigation or testing has occurred on this site to formalise its classification;
(ii) when any investigation or testing was undertaken; and
(iii) the results of any investigation or testing; and
(d) if no to (a), what is the current classification of the site?
Hon Stephen Dawson replied:
(a) Yes.
(b) The Gooseberry Hill Primary School at 24 Ledger Road in Gooseberry Hill was classified possibly contaminated – investigation required under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003 on 4 October 2016.
(c)
(i)–(iii) Initial investigations in May and June 2016 comprised a visual survey of soil in areas of the south-eastern portion of the site, followed by raking and removal of 1.7 kilograms of suspected asbestos-containing material (ACM), and collection of soil samples for laboratory analysis.
A further systematic visual assessment of the whole school site was carried out in September 2017, and an additional 510 grams of suspected ACM was removed from surface soil. An assessment of the composition of near surface soils on the school oval for the presence of waste materials was also conducted. The findings of these works informed a Health Risk Assessment, completed in December 2017.
A contaminated site auditor, accredited under the Contaminated Sites Act 2003, submitted their report reviewing the Health Risk Assessment and a July 2018 Asbestos Management Plan for the school to the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) on 5 July 2018. The auditor concluded the site is suitable for ongoing use as a primary school, and recommended it be re-classified as remediated for restricted use. DWER and the Department of Health are considering the auditor’s report, Health Risk Assessment and Asbestos Management Plan.
(d) Not applicable (as at 10 July 2018).